Street project preparation

After I read this article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2260067/White-Britons-minority-Leicester-Luton-Slough-Birmingham-set-follow-end-decade.html about the cities in the UK where Britons are becoming a minority, I decided to develop my project in Birmingham which is one of the city involved in this process.

I started to do some researches about the areas in Birmingham where especially Asian and Eastern cultures are concentrated. I searched on Google maps the mosques and temples in Birmingham and this is what I have found out:

The map clearly outlines where these communities are concentrated. My plan is to explore an area each time, starting with Soho Road.

I have searched the main festivities in the religions of these communities and I wrote down a calendar with the key dates in which I should try to go in Birmingham.

Sikh festivals

-17th March

Holla Mohalla: is celebrated by Sikhs across the world as 'Sikh Olympics' with events and competitions of swordsmanship, horse riding, Gatka (Sikh martial arts), falconry and others by Nihang Singhs.

-14th April

Vaisakhi: in India, U.K., Canada, United States, and other Sikh populated areas, people come together for a public mela or parade. The main part of the mela is where a local Sikh Templ has a beautiful Sikh themed float on which the Guru Granth Sahib is located and everyone offer their respect by bowing with much reverence and fervour. To mark the celebrations, Sikh devotees generally attend the Gurudwara before dawn with flowers and offerings in hands. Processions through towns are also common.

Hindu festivals

-14th February

Maha Shivratri: which literally translates to "great night of Shiva" is a Hindu festival largely celebrated in India as well as in Nepal. The festival is celebrated on the new moon day in the month of Maagha according to the Hindu calendar. The day is celebrated to venerate Lord Shiva, an important deity in Hindu culture.

-2nd March

Holi: a religious festival celebrated by Hindus all over the world. Holi is considered as second biggest festival on Hindu calendar after Diwali. Holi is also known as festival of colors.

-18th March

Hindi New Year

-18th April

Akshaya Tritiya: is a very popular festival that the Hindus and Jains celebrate every year. It is considered as one of the most important days for Hindu community as it is the day of the birth of the Lord Parasurama.